Catnapped
by Togabito Gaara
Summary: Natsume without his sensei! A story involving Natsume Takashi searching for his abducted teacher with the help of his friends. Hopefully, creatively depicted to be as heartwarming and tear-jerky as Midorikawa-sensei's work.   Spoiler Warning!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is actually my second attempt at writing a full fan fiction. Yes, I know~ never did I imagine but I've been enjoying this journey so far! I noticed the high interest in the Natsume Yuujin Chou drabble and since I've been so hooked on this series for a while now, I wanted to make something that was equally as heartwarming and thrilling as Midorikawa-sensei's work. Again, I have this story mostly written out but I'm in the middle of making major changes and I wanted to see what you guys thought of it so far. My guess is that this will be three chapters as well but I suppose that would depend on the changes I make lol;; So I hope you enjoy and as always, any reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for taking your time to read my story!**

****Spoiler warning: If you have not read the recent books yet or seen seasons one and two of the anime, please refrain from reading this fic.  
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**Disclaimer: Natsume Yuujinchou © ****Yuki Midorikawa**

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><p>The Yatsuhara forest inhabited many spirits of all kind. From ones as tiny as an ant to those taller than the oldest tree, they happily carried on with their lives doing as they pleased. Whether it was simply pranking the nearby humans, surviving from their hungry predators or protecting nature itself, one had to always be wary of those around, much like any ordinary creature on Earth. There was always the hunter and the hunted. This night was no different.<p>

"I've finally found you… taking the side of that woman… I won't let you get away with it…" A dark voice seethed within the bushes as golden eyes glowed in the dark. A figure approaching closer and closer to its prey, she kept her presence hidden until just the right time. The moon high above, its bright light was the only thing to guide any late goers from getting lost on their way home.

"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~~ the staaars aaaareeee preeettty~~~" The wasted fortune cat spirit humming to himself, he lightly strolled along the hidden grassy paths while returning home from his usual drinking parties he often forcefully commenced with the other spirits of the forest. Pitter pattering on his four tiny feet, Madara happily weaved through the bushes when he sensed something wrong even within his drunken state. "Hm?" The smell of the strong spiritual energy and the aura that tingled his fur was enough to put the cat on alert. Something strong was lurking about and was definitely targeting him. Dropping the piece of wheat that he held in his mouth, the spirit immediately reverted back to his grand white beast self and loudly demanded with a growl. "Come out! I could smell you from a mile away!"

"Oh? As expected of you, Madara." The figured voiced herself with an eerie chuckle. "But it isn't enough! Ha!" A large glyph marking appearing below the beast, a strand of multiple chains shot out as it quickly surrounded him in an instant holding him down. Recognizing the voice, Madara widened his eyes as he fiercely struggled against the chains. "You're-!" A powerful electric-like shock coursing through the metal-like features, one jolt took the beast down, completely putting him out.

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><p>"Sensei~? Nyanko-sensei~?" Natsume Takashi called for his guardian spirit as he brought upstairs the kitty bowl from breakfast. "That's weird… He would have been home by now. Especially when foods involved… Ah, not good! Time for school." With a glance at the clock, he quickly placed the bowl down by the feline's favorite zabuton pillow before getting ready for school, silently wondering where the cat could have gone off to.<p>

First period. Second period. Lunch. Sitting in his English class, Takashi couldn't help but daze out the window every few minutes to see if he'd spot his plump mentor somewhere, fooling around as he often did with a bird or something. The fact that he was concerned for the spirit this much in the first place came to a surprise as the feline always took care of him. He certainly was capable of taking care of himself. There really wasn't anything to worry about… or was there? A sense of chill running up his spine told him otherwise. He had a bad feeling and his intuition weren't normally off. A twirl of his pen after doodling a picture of the fortune cat in his notebook and another glance out the window, it wasn't long before the boy was greeted with a whack to the head with a heavy book and a brief scolding by his actual teacher for dazing off during class, followed by a wave of giggles from his classmates. How embarrassing. As soon as the bell rang and the class representative spoke their gratitude, Takashi quickly began to pack his things as soon as he bowed at the end of class when Kitamura and Nishimoto, both approached him at once. "Ah, Naaaaaatsume~ Let's do something today!"

"Sorry, not today guys. Next time, all right? I gotta go. Later!" Takashi apologetically declined their offer and headed out the door in a rush. "Where are you - ahh… and there he goes… You think something happened?" spoke one. "Who knows…" answered the other as the two sadly watched their friend leave with a deep unison sigh.

With no sign of him even afterward, Takashi started his search by asking the neighboring spirits if any of them may have seen his missing teacher, but alas no luck. Disappointed, Takashi was on his way home when the two manzai-like couple of mid-rank spirits cheerfully popped their head out to greet. "Natsume~ sama~" sang the one-eyed creature with a small goatee as the other, hippopotamus-looking creature repeated in a much lower tone. "We heard that you were looking for that hideous pi- ah, I mean Madara-sama." One explained as the two rubbed their hands together, almost as if readying themselves to receive something in return for the deed they had accomplished.

"Do you know something, mid-rank?" Takashi came face to face with one as he stared it down with a stern and determined look, making the two cower a bit.

"What, the word that Madara is missing is true then?" Hinoe spoke out from above as she puffed on her favorite pipe and gave a slow drag. Startled, they all looked up towards her before Takashi went over by the tree to ask her as well.

"Do you know anything, Hinoe?" Drawn by the worrisome face on the boy's face, the elegantly dressed spirit, crept down from the tree and lunged towards his face, caressing it lovingly with her long fingers. "Ah~ don't make such a face. That's why I'm here to help you, aren't I? Even if it is for that bloated ugly cat of yours. You know, if you ever get tired of him, I would be more than willing to take his place~" She flirted while bring him into her bosom as he tried to push away. "Ah, Hinoe. Thanks but it's ok. Just please tell me what you know."

Giving a small pout, she finally freed the boy and loosely crossed her arms with her pipe to her lips. "It's hard to believe, but I heard he was taken by a human during the night."

"A human?" Takashi widened his eyes to hear that as the two mid-rank spirits sobbed in the back as their precious information was swiped right from underneath them.

"That's right. I heard it was dark, but there was one that seemed to have seen her face. A woman with long black hair and a distinct scar covering half of her face. Many assume an exorcist I believe." Hinoe answered with a flat look to her face.

_An exorcist. What did an exorcist want with Sensei? _Takashi pondered as he listened and took mental note of the details that the spirit was sharing with him. The thought of Matoba came to mind and immediately an awful chill ran down his spine. What if this exorcist had the same goals as the Matoba clan of collecting spirits for their own use? But he knew that Sensei would never comply with such a thing and if that were the case then who knew what they were going to do to him. None of it settled well.

"And do you know where they took him?" The boy pressed on to collect more vital data that may point him to where his sensei might be. Seeing this as an opportunity the two mid-rank spirits slid in from the side to interrupt their conversation. "Ah~ Madara-sama often drank in the forest near here, Natsume-sama~ and the wisps have mentioned of seeing that woman roaming around the same area for several days now." The one-eyed beast gladly offered the information with a small dance as his partner followed right along doing the same, mumbling "several days several days~".

"So there's a chance that the exorcist may still be around here or in the neighboring towns." Takashi looked towards the populated area. The one person, who immediately came to mind was him—Natori Shuuichi. Perhaps asking him would lead him somewhere, he reluctantly thought, still finding the actor's presence a little uncomfortable. With a soft sigh, he stared up at the fading orange sky and decided to retire for the day, seeing as the sun had already began to settle in the distance. "I think I'll go home for today. Thanks everyone. I'll figure something out from here." Takashi waved and gave a small smile to the spirits. Hinoe silently watched him leave with another puff of her pipe as the two mid-ranks jaws dropped to the ground, clearly disappointed to see that they weren't rewarded after all.

That night Takashi laid in his futon staring up at the ceiling in the dark. He slowly gave a glance down towards his side and imagined the cat sleeping there peacefully. "Please be all right, Sensei." He softly mumbled and turned to his side to try and fall asleep. As hours passed, the dreams that plagued him were dreadful assumptions of what may have happened to his dear friend, leaving him restless throughout the night. Come the next morning, the faint sunlight rising in the east, he woke up exceptionally early to Touko's surprise, despite not having slept much and immediately called the actor after a hastened breakfast.

"Iya~ I wouldn't have imagined you'd be calling me and so early in the morning." Natori spoke through the phone in his usual flowery tone, enough that one can imagine his sparkles coming out from the receiver itself. Takashi having regretted his decision a little strived to push those feelings aside and getting straight to the point. "I'm very sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning, Natori-san, but there's something I wanted to ask you." The boy's voice carried a heavy tone. The actor already was suspecting something unpleasant coming from this.

"All… right. And, how may I help you, Natsume-kun?" Natori calmly urged him to continue. "Would you happen to know of any female exorcists with long black hair and a distinct scar covering half of her face?" The voice on the other end suddenly growing more and more silent, Takashi knew that the actor must have known something about this person. "…You know… don't you? If you do, please tell me, Natori-san! Nyanko-sensei may be in danger!" He begged with a slight panic heard in his voice.

"Natsume… I understand your concern for him but you shouldn't get involved. They are far too dangerous." Natori warned him in a stern manner.

"You said the same thing about Matoba-san. And if that's the case, I really need to go then! Who knows what they may do to sensei!" Takashi pointed out as he attempted to convince him in handing over the data.

Knowing well that the boy would go through anything to obtain this information, Natori lightly sighed and agreed while giving him an ultimatum. "All right… But there's something I need to check first. Promise me that you won't do anything rash, especially without my knowing. Understood? Meet me by the temple steps at noon and we'll talk further then."

A grateful smile growing on his face, Takashi agreed in relief to the conditions. "Thank you very much, Natori-san! All right. I'll see you then."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: H-Hello everyone! Indeed I have made several of you wait a very long time and I highly apologize for that. m(_)m There have been major changes and additions made to the story (which I have my reviewers to thank!) I would like to believe that it has brought a new dynamic to the story, which I'm pretty pleased with. I'm certain there are mistakes in there no matter how many times I read it over but I wanted to stop messing with it and get it to you guys as soon as I could so here it is. I hope you enjoy (and which hopefully meets your expectations XDD;) and as always, any reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for taking your time to read my story! It has been an honor to write for you guys! **

**Spoiler warning: If you have not read the recent books yet or seen seasons one and two of the anime, please refrain from reading this fic.**

**Disclaimer: Natsume Yuujinchou © Yuki Midorikawa**

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><p>The gentle breeze blowing on the bright sunny day, Takashi rushed to the rendezvous point by the temple steps as promised. Sitting on one of the numerous old stones leading up to the temple's orange gate entrance decorated with the traditional thick rope and paper seals, the boy patiently waited for the other to arrive while nostalgia struck his thoughts. The small shrine that had once held the fortune cat, now closed and sealed again with some other item inside, he tried to recall just how long its been since the cat had joined his family. Madara had become such a vital member of the household that it was enough to make Touko-san and Shigeru-san shower him with gourmet presents he'd enjoy once in a while and even making them worry as to why he hadn't come to eat his meals. It was certainly a good thing that nothing bad had come his way in the absence of his guardian, but it was then that Takashi realized just how much he had been relying on the spirit. A look of sorrow coming across his face, it was then that a spirit with a one-eyed mask and horns popped from behind him to peer over his shoulder. "What kind of pitiable face are you making, Natsume?" spoke the stern yet feminine voice as Takashi jumped, startled by her sudden appearance.<p>

"Uuuwah! Ah… oh, it's you, Hiiragi. You have to stop doing that to me." The boy let out a sigh in relief, trying to calm his heart that was about to pop out of his chest. "You're the one who's too careless, you fool." She rebutted as her master finally appeared from the bottom of the steps."Hiiragi. Don't pick on Natsume too much now." Natori softly spoke to his servant spirit. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Natsume-kun." The man apologized for his tardiness and slowly took a seat beside the boy with a slight noise. "It took longer than I had suspected."

"Not at all. Thank you for making time for me in your busy schedule. I'm sure you had plans even on a Saturday." Takashi reassured him that he was the one who should be doing the thanking. Natori Shuuichi was a famous actor after all, despite what he thought of the exorcist. "It was no problem on my end. Conveniently, today was my day off. I'm just pleased and somewhat surprised I suppose that you've finally decided to rely on me for once. That is all." The actor softly and honestly spoke his mind with a small smile. "Natori-san…" Takashi lightly gaped at the man before returning a soft smile of his own. He thought of just how lucky he was to have met all these people who truly cared for him. Something that was much different from his harsh and isolated past.

"Well, let's get down to business then, shall we? I've found out where our culprit is staying." Natori broke the ice and dove right in. "From what I've gathered the woman you're looking for is supposedly a member of the Kamo clan from the south, famous for their long ancestry of exorcists. Not only were they well known for being born with immense spiritual power, passed down from generation to generation, but for the number of spirits they've managed to tame and manipulate to do their deeds. They are as infamous as the Matoba clan here and would go as far as hypnotizing the spirits with a forbidden spell that could either place them under their control or make one lose its mind. The spirit essentially would rampage until they've spent every bit of their energy. A gamble the clan is willing to take to obtain such power." He briefly glanced towards Takashi to see how he was taking all of this and as he feared the boy looked shaken. Still, Natori knew it wasn't because he was afraid for himself but for the spirit. The distance the boy would go to save a supernatural being still amazed him. However, it was because he would that the actor truly liked him.

"That's awful… to gamble with another's life just so they can gain power. Even if it were spirits, that's still…" Takashi stated his thoughts with anger. "Not everyone is as kind as you, Natsume." The actor softly reminded him of the reality of the situation. The boy gave a small frown to that knowing well that he was right. The world wasn't that easy. "This Kamo member.. where is she staying? We have to stop her as soon as possible." He anxiously asked. "Now calm down." Natori warned him. "Unfortunately, it's not that simple." When was it ever simple, he told himself with a small sigh. "For one, if we don't plan this out carefully, the fingers will be pointed at us for trespassing."

"Trespassing?" Takashi questioned wide-eyed and confused. Natori closed his eyes and organized his thoughts before continuing. "Yes, that's right. She's staying at a private mansion owned by one of the notorious underground leaders of Japan." He gave Takashi a grim look. "This is why I said you shouldn't get involved in this matter. Think of the Fujiwaras. What would they think if they found out that their adopted son has been involved in such a mess? How much you'd worry them." Natori made his last attempt at convincing Takashi to back out from the deal. "Even he'd-" He abruptly stopped when the boy dropped his head and softly interrupted. "Sensei.. has always been there for me. No matter how dangerous the situation and how foolish I was to get myself involved in it, he always came to my aid. I would never be able to live with myself if I were to abandon him here without even trying. I feel awful for placing the Fujiwaras in such a place but…" Takashi raised his head and boldly stared into Natori's eyes. "I'm going to go save Sensei, Natori-san. Please, tell me what I need to do." All the actor could do was weakly smile and sigh again in defeat. This kid was truly something. "All right. The meeting is in five days. This is how we'll do it."

And so the plan began.

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><p>"Are you sure this will make me appear as a spirit, even to humans?" Takashi skeptically questioned Hiiragi who was helping him wear a mystical cloth that would supposedly hide his presence. "You do not trust my master's words, Natsume?" The bold one-eyed masked spirit questioned him right back as she firmly tied the yukata with a special obi around his waist and over the pouch that held the Yuujin Cho (Book of Friends) and handed him the seal-marked mask with the kanji for "eye" written on it. "There. This should do it. If you are uncertain then why not see for yourself?" She gestured towards the door. Takashi nervously swallowed before stepping out into the open hallway as Hiiragi joined beside him. Spotting a couple in the distance, the boy waited for them to get closer when the spirit forcefully pushes him forward. With a small yelp, Takashi quickly covered his mouth as the couple, suspiciously looked about to see whether someone was nearby before resuming their walk towards the cafeteria. With a relieved sigh, the boy was pleased to see that they hadn't really noticed him beside his accidental squeak. "You fool. How many times must I remind you that you must remain quiet? The cloth can only hide your presence. Not your voice." She strictly scolded the boy.<p>

"You didn't have to push me." He whispered back to the spirit a little annoyed, but then smiled. "But it looked like it worked. Thanks, Hiiragi. I really appreciate you helping me." Takashi genuinely thanked her. The spirit silently stared at him for a good moment before responding harshly and quickly turned away. "As I thought, a fool." The boy continued to smile knowing that it was Hiiragi's way of saying 'of course'. She really was shy when it came to compliments.

Five days past and here they were after nights of preparing a plan for this day. The place they were staying was at a small off-the-road inn located in the town next to Yasuhara; the precise town that the woman from the Kamo clan was supposedly invited to perform a ritual as a deal breaker in front of numerous big shots of the underground world at a private mansion. Rumors spoke of a private meeting that was to be held prior to it, speaking of future transactions of illegal substances from one country to another amongst other things that a commoner like himself had no clue nor privileged in knowing about. The mansion was heavily guarded by amateur underlings while the more experienced subordinates protected their own individual bosses inside. The property itself was vast with the walkway to the entrance of about 50 m. Before the entrance was a beautiful grand fountain that placed a nice touch to the well tended front yard, all surrounded by forest to make for a well secluded area. The guilt of having to tell the Fujikawara couple of his "fun" overnight trip with the actor still weighed heavy on Takashi's shoulders. But he knew it was for the best for their sake and his own.

Having been dropped off by Natori, Takashi and Hiiragi walked right through the main gates unspotted as it opened for the guest cars that entered. They more or less successfully made their way up the path, rounding behind the building where it was less guarded. Opening the door from the inside, the spirit allowed Takashi in through the backdoor and softly closed it behind to continue their search for the hall that the deal was to take place. Turning the corner, the two heard the quiet curious chatters from the tiny dust spirits, which spoke of the upcoming events. This was not good. With the commencement of the Boss meeting only moments ago, they hurried along knowing that the ritual would immediately begin once the meeting was over in roughly thirty minutes. There was no time to waste.

Coming across a grand hall with comfortable sofas scattered about and facing a stage, it wasn't long before both of them spotted the white beast passed out in a seal-covered cage upon it. A sense of panic taking over him, Takashi dashed for it as he rashly called out the spirit's name. "Sensei!" Hiiragi taking notice of his action, quickly followed behind in aim to settle him down. "That idiot!" she muttered.

"Oh? We have unwelcome guests, I see…" Spoke a dark eerie voice from the shadows. Immediately making a halt, Takashi frantically looked around until the figure dropped down in front of Madara's cage dressed in a black cloak. Sensing the other's presence, it spoke with pure excitement as it began to laugh. "Hm? That smell. Fufufufuf.. Ha ha ha ha ha! Reiko! Is that you!" Surprised to see that the person could see him, Takashi slowly began to back away as he spoke while Hiiragi jumped in front of him. "You could… see us?"

"Oh, yes. Quite clearly~ Hm?" Noticing the difference in voice, the figure revealed her face from beneath the black hood; a woman with long black hair with a distinct burned scar on half of her face. "…You're not Reiko, are you? How disappointing…" she sarcastically moped. "Woman with a scar…" Takashi widened his eyes as he bit down on his lip. "You must be the woman from the Kamo clan! Reiko was my grandmother. She passed away a while ago." The boy boldly answered. "Reiko's grandson? Now this is interesting!" The woman continued to laugh finding amusement in this news. "Now, answer me! What do you intend on doing with Sensei!" Takashi demanded. "Sensei? Ah, you mean, Madara? Ha ha ha,.. Is that what he's claiming himself to be? I see.. you're here for him, are you?" She firmly tapped her hand on the cage. "Then it's all the same. I won't give him up so easily this time unlike with Reiko. He's mine!" She raged as a strong wind blew their way, throwing off Takashi's mask in the process, the sole thing that kept him hidden. "Heh, the invincibility spell… you must have some strong allies. I see you've even managed to tame a spirit yourself. Unless of course, you're using _it_." The woman knowingly mocked the boy as she stared him down with a cocky smirk.

"She's not working under my orders and what do you mean by _it_?" Takashi gave another astonished look, feeling awfully vulnerable in front of the mysterious woman. _D-Did she know?_ "It was Reiko's favorite toy after all." She responded when Hiiragi took the moment as an opportunity to strike. Drawing her long blade, she struck down towards the woman when she blew her away with one wave of her arm and tossing the spirit into a nearby sofa. "Hiiragi!" Takashi ran to her side as he glanced back towards the clan member. That's when it hit him. Something sounded very strange about the woman. With the commotion, Madara slowly opened one eye as he sees the woman beside him and Takashi off in the distance. "Suri… Let him go. He has nothing… to do with this.." He weakly spoke while wheezing to get air into his lungs.

"Ah, you're finally awake again. Is this who you were talking about? My my how soft you've gotten, Madara." She spoke with her nose up in the air. "But that will all change soon enough…" Her voice grew heavy and dark. "Sensei! Are you all right!" Takashi called to the spirit with a weary smile, relieved to hear him speak. He sounded so painful that it twisted a knot in his chest. Madara attempted to stand as his knees weakly shook and buckled. "Natsume, take Hiiragi and get out of here! She's no opponent you could win against on your own!" He deeply growled his warning. Takashi clenched his teeth as he angrily snapped back. "What are you talking about, you dumb fake cat! We came to save you! How could we leave without you now!" A vein popping at his temple, the white beast roared as he argued back in a childish manner. "Dumb fake cat! Who are you calling a dumb fake cat, you wimpy twig!" "This is no time for that, you fools!" Hiiragi reminded them as they abruptly stopped in embarrassment before refocusing on the situation at hand.

That was when Suri swung her arm again to specifically throw a strike at Takashi. "Look out!" Madara bellowed as the horned masked spirit reflexively shoved the boy away, taking the hit instead. "Too slow!" Suri hysterically laughed to the glory of blowing away her enemy as Takashi stared at the fallen spirit in pure shock. "Hiiragi!" He supported her head with one hand as she laid there motionless. "Hiiragi, are you all right! Answer me, please!" A horrified worrisome look crossing Takashi's face, Hiiragi slowly began to raise her hand in attempt to caress his cheek as she mumbled a few words before passing out. "What… are you doing… Run... You.. Fool…" Tears forming, the boy embraced her when suddenly a hand gently patted him on the head. "There's no need to worry, she's only unconscious and will recover with rest. Goodness.. you almost gave _me_ a heart attack back there.." Another feminine voice smoothly spoke to soothe him. A scent of burning tobacco and a ring of smoke floating about, the elegant spirit in traditional kimono with a pin holding up her hair stood by his side, with her pipe in one hand and a semi-bothersome expression on her face until she lightly curled her lips up in relief. "Though truly.. you two never change…"

"Hinoe?" Takashi quickly lifted his head up to stare at her in surprise, especially to be greeted by the spirit in a place such as this. And in that matter of seconds, her expression drastically changed to one that teased her beloved human as she smothered him, "Ahhh~, that face~ I can't help myself. Don't look so surprised, Natsume~ I came to help you, of course." "Uwah, Hinoe, please~" His panicky reaction, of course, greatly pleased the spirit that it made her want to embrace him more, but she knew better than to be fooling around now. "And don't worry about the rest of the humans in the mansion. They're all fast asleep." She confidently spoke with another puff of her smoke as she held up a tiny urn in her other hand to indicate that she had drugged them all.

"You mean, we, Hinoe." Spoke a deeper voice from behind her. The black fog filling the room, a horse figure with lavender hair and multiple earrings and bells dangling appeared before them along with a tiny green frog on top of his head. "Misuzu, you too?" The boy continued on astounded by the unexpected reinforcements, who have just arrived when more run through the door; mostly of spirits who he had helped one way or another in the past along with... "Natsume!" A young boy came crashing through the door with another girl. "Natsume-kun! Nyanko-chan!" Tanuma and Taki breathlessly entered the hall with the human-formed small fox child by their side. "Natsume! I'm here to help too! I won't let anyone bully you!" Kogitsune attempted to give a tough look as he bundled two small fists before him and pumped himself up for the task ahead. Takashi couldn't help but also noticed the terrified and sheepish mid-rank pair dancing in the back with their fans in hand to cheer the rest on while they stayed in hiding. Amongst them, Benio flew right past everyone in search for her adoring beast. "Madara-sama~~~! Where are you~!"

"Tanuma, Taki, and Kogitsune… Mid-rank and even Benio." A grateful smile crossed his face to see so many come to his aid though deep down at the same time he feared for their safety. He couldn't let them stay any longer. His mind began to race as he tried to think of a solution. "We heard and followed him." Tanuma explained as he placed his hand onto the fox child's head, who smiled proudly.

"Oh~? You have quite a crew on your hand, boy. I see, you're using your Yuujin Cho (Book of friends) well and even have human subordinates unlike Reiko." Suri huffed as she carefully studied each individual in the room. A good number of them she recognized as high-rank spirits. Slightly backing away, she had a feeling this might prove problematic if she didn't hurry on with the ritual soon. Takashi handed Hiiragi to the mid-ranks for them to tend to and stood, squarely facing the woman. "None of them came because of it. They all came to save their friend." Madara sighed in the cage while hiding a small smile. It was then that they all began to speak on their own accord stating reasons mainly consisting of hearing that Natsume was in trouble and wanting to save him; none of which spoke of Madara, except from the butterfly spirit. The beast angrily rattled the cage as he loudly grumbled his response. "WHAT! You! I'll remember this!" They all broke into a laughter as he fell for their teasing when Tanuma brought back the grueling tension.

"Natsume… Who exactly are we talking to? I see the cage and I think that's Ponta, but… I don't see anyone else besides a vague shadow before it or hear anyone else for that matter." The boy pointed out. "Me too… Natsume-kun." Taki concurred as she gave an uneasy look.

"What…?" Takashi stared in shock at his friends before returning the look to the scar-faced woman on stage. They couldn't see nor hear her? Was she… a _spirit_? Of course… The woman appeared far too young to have been born during his grandmother's time and yet, she seemed to know her like the back of her hand. _Last time_. From the way she was speaking, this woman and his grandmother have clearly met in the past according to her claim. Suri gradually began to laugh louder almost into a maniacal cackle. "Yes… Yes, that's right! I'm a spirit.. at least I am now. Heh. How long I've waited for this moment… To take my revenge!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: The final chapter to this story! I hope you enjoy (and hopefully I've met your expectation XDD;) and as always, any reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for taking your time to read my story! It has been an honor to write for you guys! **

**Spoiler warning: If you have not read the recent books yet or seen seasons one and two of the anime, please refrain from reading this fic.**

**Disclaimer: Natsume Yuujinchou © Yuki Midorikawa**

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><p>It all made sense now. How she knew of his grandmother, the Yuujin Cho (Book of Friends), and why she had mistaken him for Reiko. The seal around the cage was probably what was letting even Tanuma and Taki see the great beast and how she intended on showing herself and the ritual to the Bosses. "I don't care if you're Reiko's grandson! I won't have you ruin this chance!" She violently cracked a bottle over the cage, sprinkling Madara with a substance that made him flinch. Joining her hands together, Suri began to chant a string of words as a mysterious light surrounded her. Hinoe widened her eyes, recognizing what the spirit was doing. "That chant!"<p>

"Don't make her finish the chant!" Misuzu warned with a snarl as he rushed to take a bite out of the other spirit, when an unknown force knocked away even the high-leveled spirit himself. A dark shadow appeared with golden eyes, casting over her and speaking with a rather groggy voice. "_I won't let you interfere_." The little fox cowering with fear quickly hide behind Taki as the other spirits seemed to recognize this new presence as well. "Sasanou…" Madara growled. "So it was you who did this to Suri! I thought you were sealed away?"

"It's been a while, Madara. I made a deal with the exorcist. The poor foolish girl begged for a chance in that burning fire and I was generous enough to give it to her. And so…" It widely grinned. "I _ate _her." The eerie amused voice reasoned. "Burning fire? What's this about?" Takashi couldn't help but question, concerned to know of the spirit's past. He had seen far too many tragedies involving spirits to bypass this detail. "Haaaaa! None of that matters now!" Suri exclaimed as she formed a series of seals with her hand to activate the ritual. A stream of light flowed out beneath Madara, the beast was engulfed by an enormous amount of spiritual energy that invaded his mind as it seeped into his skin. Frantically tossing himself around within the cage, he struggled against it as his sage eyes began to turn red with fury and heavily salivated from his mouth.

"SENSEI!" Takashi yelled as he dashed for the cage. "Natsume!" The rest called after the boy. As some dove to his aid, the beast finally tore open the cage and broke out in a burst. Deeply snarling, Madara stood tall as he glared down at the boy with fully crimson eyes. With a delightful maniacal smile on Suri's lips, she cooed to him while petting the hair on his back. "Ah.. Madara. That's a good boy." Her hostile glare darted towards Takashi as she pointed at him before firmly making her demand. "Now tear that traitor apart!"

_Traitor_? Takashi froze on the spot. _I'm a traitor? What have I done? When? How?_ His back gave out as he slumped to the ground, petrified. Immediately the white beast lunged towards the boy as Misuzu stepped forward to counter his attack. "Natsume-dono… Step aside! This is no longer.. ughh… the Madara you know! Make your leave, immediately!" The horse spirit grunted as he fought back. Tanuma and Taki ran to their friend's side to help him up. "Natsume, are you all right! I don't know what exactly is going on with Nyan nyan sensei, but I know it's not something good. We need to go _now_." They both took each arm over their shoulder to walk Takashi out, but all the boy was focused on was the fight before him. "No.. make them stop…" He mumbled before breaking free and loudly demanding it. "Please somebody make them stop! Make them stop at once!" He turned to Hinoe, who slowly and hopelessly shook her head, and then to the mid-ranks, who rapidly waved their arms refusing to get involved. Making a tight fist, Takashi ran into battle determined to end it himself. He called out Misuzu's name to make him stop, using the Yuujin Cho's power and stepped in front of him with open arms begging for his teacher to stop. With no hesitation, Madara heavily brought down his claws to slash across his body in one clean sweep. Tossing the boy across the room, Takashi flew into the air and was thrashed into a wall as he fell to the ground in a hard thud. A visible stream of blood began to paint the floor beside him and fast.

Taki quickly covered her face in horror as Hinoe dropped her favorite pipe to what she saw; the rest reacting much in the same manner as they all screamed for him. "Natsume!" Everything slowing down by the second, the room seemed to pulsate from Madara's view as he saw the boy fly through the air and now lying on the ground lifeless. His chest pounding hard as his mouth quivered, he eyed Takashi with a terrified look as the red receded back to its original sage color. "Natsume…" His deep voice muttered his name several times before it became louder until he was finally roaring it. "NATSUME!" Letting out a deep growl while throwing his head back, his tail wiped out to the side as he ferociously sprung at Sasanou with everything he had. "SASANOUUUU!" A gigantic paper doll flying threw the window; it tightly wrapped itself around Suri who was equally astounded to see that Madara had broken her spell. Within a few seconds, Natori appeared by the door as he too chanted a few words to vanquish the evil spirit surrounding the girl and began the process of sending her off so she may rest in peace.

A chomp here and there, the two spirits heavily battled it out until Sasanou gradually grew weak and Suri vanished into thin air with Natori's guidance. Madara persistently chased Sasanou around the room when it decided to make a swift retreat. "You'll greatly pay for this, Madara!" The evil spirit weakly exclaimed on his way out the window, quickly flying away in desperation. Thinking that it had made its escape after a few minutes, the spirit began to snicker in relief when it wasn't long before a phoenix with dragon horns swooped towards him and tightly clamped its claws around its tiny torso to prevent its second escape. It then emitted a large amount of spiritual energy towards Sasanou's way to finish the deed that the white beast had started, terminating its existence.

It was finally over.

Madara heavily panting quickly made its way to where the boy still laid surrounded by Tanuma, Taki, and the other spirits. The bird sticking its head through the window with a worrisome look to its face, the rest joined Madara as Natori quickly examined him before carefully covering and cradling him in his arms. "This isn't good, we have to hurry to the hospital!" Misuzu signing for him to grab on, the actor did just that as he motioned Tanuma to hop on as well. The priest's son hesitantly reached out to grab something and soon enough they were on their way.

Climbing the sky, Natori gravely spoke his words, which brought the boy out of his amazement for being in the air. "Tanuma-kun, was it? I need you to take Natsume to the hospital while I take care of unfinished business. Can I count on you for this?" The expression on the actor's face clearly depicted a fear he couldn't comprehend but understood its importance from his tone nonetheless. "Of course. You could leave it to me." He confidently answered, equally wanting to save his friend's life.

The rest began to make their way out as well when the white beast slowly plopped himself onto the ground and covered his face with his large paw in shame and guilt. A beak softly pecking at his back, Tama tried to soothe its once caregiver as Benio slowly approached him, placing her hand onto the bridge of his nose. Hinoe stared at the pathetic beast and softly spoke. "You need not feel responsible… you know that, Madara. Natsume will be fine. He's Reiko's grandson. So stop sulking and go be by his side for goodness sake…" She looked away to hide the tear that rolled down her own cheek, worried for the boy.

Looking up at Hinoe, Madara contemplated for the moment before standing back up again, sympathizing how the other spirits must be feeling. Helpless and hopeless. The human life was indeed vulnerable and short. The best he could do now was pray with the others. He glanced back towards the Phoenix, recognizing it as Tama and softly nuzzled it to give his silent thanks. Slightly nodding his head towards Benio, he then headed off into the night, soaring the sky in full strides to clear his head for a while before heading over himself.

Watching the Fujiwaras leave the hospital from above, the grand beast slipped into Takashi's room where the mid-ranks quietly prayed for his well being on the side while the little fox continued to weep with Tanuma and Taki there to comfort and usher him out the door. Reverting back to his fortune cat form, Madara quietly crept onto the bed and gently curled up beside the boy, bandaged and hooked up to several vital tubes and IV.

* * *

><p>"<em>So I heard you could see spirits as well." <em>

"_And?" _

"_And! What do you mean and!" _

"What's… this?" Takashi wondered as he sees two teenage girls talking; one who looked distinctly like his grandmother and the other…

"_I'm asking what it is that you want."_ Reiko continued to stare off towards the lake with her feet dangling in the water.

"_Well… I thought…_" The young girl with long black hair shyly glanced down at her tangled hands; cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Reiko slyly glanced towards her, noticing the change in attitude when she spots the precise thing she was waiting for and stood, diving after it.

"_Ahhh, wa…it…"_ The girl sadly watched Reiko head off towards a spirit as she missed her chance to have a conversation with someone who may have understood how she felt.

"_What, you missed your chance again, Suri?" _A deep and familiar voice spoke from the trees above as he lightly laughed.

"_Quiet, Madara! I'll do it! You'll see!"_ She pouted and spoke confidently towards the white beast.

"_Haaa… You have some hobby. I told you. Reiko doesn't like humans."_ Madara sighed, half amused by the girl's endless efforts.

The scene switches to the girl making numerous attempts at talking to Reiko but getting ignored or swept away by the moment; though a sly smile can be seen on his grandmother's face at each encounter. Takashi knew that she was half enjoying herself teasing the girl and the other… well, she was very happy that someone wasn't afraid of her. Scenes of Suri talking to the white beast and getting advice were seen and finally, during one autumn day, Reiko responded back to her, which brought a big smile on the girl's face. From that day forward, the two girls began to converse little by little about various things. Of course, nothing that two teenage girls would normally speak of, such as boys and jewelry, but nonetheless they seemed as if they enjoyed themselves as Takashi saw Madara quietly watching over them.

A whole year later and the moment came. Finding himself in a burning building now, Takashi observed the scene, wide-eyed as he subconsciously dodged the intangible pieces of the building falling down around him; Reiko protecting a small spirit in her hands while Suri stood before her with arms wide open, confronting a group of men.

"Please reconsider, Uncle! Not all of them are evil as you say!" Suri desperately pleaded to the leading man. "Do you know what you are saying, Suri! You are a noble member of the Kamo clan! It is our duty to clean up calamity as well as prevent it from happening in the first place! That spirit child will soon grow into a powerful beast that will surely destroy this whole town to take its revenge! Now give it here before it becomes too late!" The man violently waved his arm; the men behind him beginning to chant an incoherent chant.

"No! You are the one who does not know what he is saying! Stop! Leave us!" As soon as the girl yelled the small spirit emitted a wave of cry that shook the house. As the pieces of the roof collapsed onto Suri and the men, Madara quickly dove in taking Reiko and the spirit with him. The girl watched in despair as half of her face was burned and she was left behind only remembering her last moments being betrayed. Takashi sorrowfully watched the scene as she hysterically screamed while left in the fire, bargaining for the pain to cease when Sasanou answered her, coercing her into a vengeful spirit as he ate her body and made it his own. The scene changed yet again to see the other side that the girl had not seen; a furious Reiko hitting Madara in the body, scolding him for having saved her and not the other.

"So that's what happened…" Takashi took in all of what he saw when he hears a gentle voice chuckling. "Look how angry she looks… silly girl." A faded image of Suri unexpectedly appeared beside him. A smile on her face, she watched Reiko beat the crap out of the white beast until that scene too had faded away leaving only the boy and the girl behind. "I frequently came up North with my uncle to meet with some businessmen interested in hiring us for protection. I was so young, I didn't know what truly went on business-wise, but I loved speaking with the spirits and helping them in any way I can… My uncle was the opposite. He believed all spirits only existed to deceive and hurt humans so it was only right to capture them and place a lease. I suppose bringing me along was his own attempt to help me see the benefits of his work. Imprudent humans. If only I wasn't born into a family of exorcists but alas." she sorrowfully explained.

"Suri…" Takashi softly called her name. "I was a fool… I should have known and yet…" The girl closed her eyes and tilted her head down bringing her hands to her chest. Glancing back up at him, she brightly smiled and brought her hands out. "Thank you, Natsume… You freed me. Now, it's my turn…" Disappearing and reappearing before him, her hands gently pushed Takashi back as he fell off what seemed like an endless cliff when suddenly he opens his eyes with a gasp.

* * *

><p>Having been dropped off by Misuzu on the way to the hospital, the actor sprinted around the back as another one of his assistants with ram horns joined him at his side. A small vase shattered within his palm, the eye-patched young master of the Matoba clan smirked as he peacefully stood outside in the beautifully designed garden of one of many of his secluded mansions. Confronted by the breathless actor, he murmured his comment though loud enough for him to hear followed by a small chuckle. "So it failed after all. How unfortunate. Useless thing. This one won't do now, will it?" "It was your clan, wasn't it?" Natori abruptly spoke, accusing the young man as he clenched his fist tighter. "The fire. This incident. Everything. Something sounded odd when I heard of the Kamo clan revisiting the north once more. It took a while but I finally gathered all my resources."<p>

"You know more than I expected, Natori Shuuichi." Matoba calmly stated as he didn't seem one bit phased by him. An older man, one of many of the young master's subordinate, rushed out of the building in a panic to immediately take charge. "H-How did you get in here! Where are the shiki spirits we had set out to guard?" He noticed the masked lithely figure passed out on the ground behind them and quickly glowered back at the intruders. "You are trespassing! Leave at-!" Matoba then raised his hand to signal his silence. The last thing he wanted Natori to do was simply leave, knowing such information. "The spirit within this vase had such potential. The ability to consume another's soul to make it its own. You could understand what use such power could be." He glanced up into the dark yet clear sky. It was no secret that the Kamo clan had been a rival family to the Matoba clan for ages-Both ambitious and determined.

"So your clan had set fire to the Kamo mansion by using another spirit as its bait. They knew of the young daughter's love for spirits and used it to their advantage to drive the Kamo clan out of the Northern territory. In order to hide this fact, they made certain of her death by forming a deal with Sasanou to consume her soul in exchange for free reign out of the vase. Though you had a backup in case it were to ever misbehaved, am I wrong?" Natori finished the explanation for him in a seething manner, which frightened the elder subordinate further. This only made Matoba laugh even more.

"My my, you must have some resources. Though…" his sharp eye narrowed to pierce the man. "You know quite well what we are capable of as well." His smiley eye returned as he continued on. "I suggest you keep that information to yourself." Natori slowly inhaled and exhaled to calm himself before presenting his own warning in a threatening manner. "If you place Natsume in danger again… I will see to your end. You better pray he survives."

Once, the actor left, Matoba ordered his assistant to let the family know of the dire situation and to dig up anything on Natori Shuuichi as well as take care of things with the Yakuza leaders. Well, well. If he wanted to play rough, he was more than willing to buy that challenge. Though what truly sparked his interest was… "Natsume Takashi… hm. Now, that's interesting." He softly worded as a sly smile grew at his lips, having been unaware of his involvement in this. What stringed fate he held with the boy.

* * *

><p>Pale old ceiling above him and room darkened due to the curtains pulled to shield the morning sunlight, Takashi stared up at it for a good minute or two before slowly turning his head to the side. A peaceful cat sleeping beside him, he also saw the two mid-ranks sprawled out on the floor passed out and snoring. Finding himself on a bed bandaged and connected to IV lines amongst other unknown tubes, he soon recalled what had happened and concluded to where he was with a soft sigh.<p>

"You finally awake, Natsume?" The cat suddenly spoke with one eye opened to look at the boy. "Sensei…" Takashi smiled in relief to see him all right as he brought his hand to the cat's head to pet. "I'm glad you're all right." Madara slyly watched the boy as he enjoyed his petting, appreciating the familiarity. "Idiot. You should be more worried of yourself, geez." Takashi simply kept smiling as he was scolded when the cat slightly mumbled the next. "Natsume..."

"Hm, what is it, Sensei?"

"I'm sorry for putting you through all the trouble and… thanks."

The boy stared dumbfounded at the cat, who was flushed and embarrassed for what he had just admitted to, before chuckling and warmly smiling again. "You're creeping me out, Sensei."

"Takashi-kun!" Touko ran in as her husband followed along with Takashi's friends, Tanuma and Taki, all rushing to his side. The mid-ranks startled to the sudden outburst, scrambled on the floor, smacking into each other when they too realized the boy was awake and rejoiced. Tears ran down their cheeks as fans whipped out simultaneous with one another and danced joyously in rhythm. A gentle breeze flapping the curtain slightly to the side, spoke of another guest who had been secretly watching over him from a far.

In the distance from the hospital, Hiiragi jumped down out of thin air to join her master resting on a bench. "It seems he's awakened." She spoke in her usual monotone voice to report to Natori. "That's good to hear." He sighed in relief as he looked up towards Hinoe in the tree, who turned her head away to hide her smile, happily shedding a tear to hear the good news while tending to her pipe. A small green frog hopped off the branch to scamper to his master as a few colored feathers floated down from the sky above.

His caregivers tightly hugging him, Natsume Takashi looked out the window with a warm grateful smile as he thought he saw Suri smiling back and waving before flying off into the distant morning sky. Closing his eyes, he silently spoke of his appreciation.

"_Thank you, Suri, for everything." _

A human turned into a spirit. The thought never crossed Takashi's mind. But once it had, everything made perfect sense. All the fears, joys, lonesomeness, anxiety, and love. No wonder they were much alike. Natori once asked whether he'd choose humans or the spirits when the time came. There was truly no need to, for they too held the traits of a human just like him.


End file.
